Bishop asked to repent of homophobia

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has called on Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali to repent of homphobia, following the bishop's comments in today's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

The human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has called on Anglican Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali to repent of homphobia, following the bishop's comments in the Sunday Telegraph (5 July 2009).

The riposte comes in response to the churchman's call for lesbian and gay people to "repent" on the front of the newspaper.

Mr Tatchell declared "As an Asian man, the Bishop knows the pain of racial prejudice. I am shocked that he wants to inflict similar prejudice on gay people."

He continued: "Homophobia is a social and moral evil, just like racism. Bigotry, even in the guise of religion, has no place in a compassionate, caring society."

Tatchell added: "I call on the Bishop to repent his homophobia. His prejudice goes against Christ's gospel of love and compassion.

"This is merely the latest of many homophobic outbursts by the Bishop. He is a long-time vociferous opponent of gay equality and a strident supporter of legal discrimination against homosexuals.

"He has repeatedly spoken and voted against gay human rights in the House of Lords, defending homophobic laws like the unequal age of consent, criticising civil partnership legislation and opposing IVF fertility treatment for lesbian couples," said Mr Tatchell, who has been active with the gay rights group OutRage.